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[–]fschmidt 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (5 children)

I am all for free speech, but the issue here is not free speech. Imagine that a teacher taught that 2+2=5 and that anyone who answered 4 would be marked wrong. Is this a free speech issue? I don't think so, especially if the school receives public funding. What this teacher is teaching about Islam is no more true than teaching that 2+2=5.

[–]Druullus 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (4 children)

...The judge concluded Damask's course didn't prevent Sabra from exercising his religion. It merely exposed Sabra to "attitudes and outlooks at odds" with his own understanding of Islam, which is not a violation of the First Amendment.

The lawsuit also objected to Damask's use of terrorism and Middle East expert Walid Phares's book, "Future Jihad."

The lawsuit labels Phares an "Islamophobe."

"Within this mandatory reading assignment," the lawsuit states, "Phares explains that jihad is not a 'spiritual phenomenon that would be and was abused by extremist ideologies,' but rather a call for physical action. Damask failed to articulate that other more acceptable, and in fact 'mainstream' views of jihad have nothing to do with violence, but instead he improperly urged students to accept his personal opinions."

The judge, Brnovich, found that CAIR and Sabra wrongly claimed the students were forced to adopt Phares's view of Islam. The assignment "merely asks students to identify the opinion of Walid Phares regarding Islam, not to adopt his position on Islam," the judge wrote.

Numerous Islamic scholars and leaders, including Muslim Brotherhood founder Hassan al Banna, Osama bin Laden mentor Abdallah Azzam and 13th century scholar Ibn Taymiyya, have insisted that there is only one meaning to jihad – "fighting" to impose Islam.

According to al Banna: "In [Muslim] Tradition, there is a clear indication of the obligation to fight the People of the Book (Jews and Christians), and of the fact that Allah doubles the reward of those who fight them. Jihad is not against polytheists alone, but against all who do not embrace Islam."...

[–]fschmidt 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

What is your point?

The judge, Brnovich, found that CAIR and Sabra wrongly claimed the students were forced to adopt Phares's view of Islam. The assignment "merely asks students to identify the opinion of Walid Phares regarding Islam, not to adopt his position on Islam," the judge wrote.

So if a teacher asks students what is 2 + 2 and expects 5 for an answer, then that teacher "merely asks students to identify the opinion of the teacher regarding math, not to adopt his position on math"?

[–]Druullus 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

It's not math, and the teacher merely asked the students to acknowledge that there are different interpretations.

[–]fschmidt 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Nevertheless, SCC student Mohamed Sabra complained of three questions on Damask's exams.

The offending questions and answers were:

Q. Who do terrorists strive to emulate? A. Mohammed

Q. Where is terrorism encouraged in Islamic doctrine and law? A. The Medina verses [i.e., the portion of the Qur'an traditionally understood as having been revealed later in Muhammad's prophetic career]

Q. Terrorism is _______ in Islam. A. justified within the context of jihad.

All of these are simply factually false. These aren't just interpretations. This is much like the modern Left re-interpreting American history in a way that is clearly false.

[–]Druullus 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

factually false that some people interpret Islam differently?